Recent heavy rainfall has caused severe flooding in several small-town tourist destinations in northern Minnesota and a village in New Mexico. In St. Louis County, Minnesota, residents were seen navigating flooded streets with kayaks and small boats due to the high water levels. The National Weather Service has issued warnings of possible additional rain in the coming days, especially in areas with already saturated ground and swollen rivers.
The storm in the village of Willard, New Mexico, brought 6 to 8 inches of rain and lime-sized hail, causing significant damage. This amount of rainfall was unusual for the region, with some parts of New Mexico not typically experiencing that much rain in an entire year. The storm in Willard occurred as fire crews in Ruidoso were still battling wildfires, highlighting the challenges posed by overlapping wildfire and monsoon seasons.
